CHICAGO | General Developments

[harryc]

Originally Posted by Hayward

I think it goes without saying that hospitals make lousy neighbors. In every city, EVERY CITY I have ever lived in I've witnessed some spectacular buildings fall victim to not a hospital building but hospital parking. It's the reasons why hospitals are best in a fringe area that has easy access to freeways and major roads. (like Rush for example)

Chicago, Grand Rapids feels your pain. They lost these to hospital surfacing parking very recently
http://blog.mlive.com/knapescorner/2...th_saving.html

Notice the person quoted "Yes, I guess those buildings are out of place." Yes, out of place after the neighborhood was destroyed around it...... Heck can you even call it a place?

One of my earliest building experiences was exploring the old dry cleaners being torn down at the end of the block, in the half demo'd building you could see cross sections of floors and walls. conduits and pipes ran in mystic ways and places I wouldn't understand for many years. Done for a surface lot.

Got to stop using this Google earth - looks like they have expanded the surface lot by about 4x in the past 30 years.
Google

[emathias]

Originally Posted by denizen467

...
* The gas station on Wells has finally completed its World's Longest Gas Station Construction Project. It looks kind of the same as before, except very spiffy instead of very shabby.

It doesn't actually look much of anything like the former building. The only reason it may is that they didn't touch the pumps or a canopy over the pumps.

The stationhouse, though, was concrete and steel before, now it's brick. Before it had a carwash integrated into it, now it does not. Before it had small windows facing the pumps, now they're much larger. It should have a lot more room for convenience items now. The last thing the area needs is another convenience store, but if it's gonna stay a gas station, I guess it might as well go all out.

Originally Posted by denizen467

* Some kind of refurbishment or upgrades at Dearborn could be in the works:

http://www.suntimes.com/business/roe...son-house.html

YMCA picks preferred buyer for Lawson House
David Roeder
Last Modified: Oct 26, 2011 02:16AM
...
Sources said the Y insisted that Lawson House be preserved for affordable housing and that commitment to the social mission, and not price, was the priority in its selection process.

I really don't understand the philosophy of the Y on this building, nor in the City being ambivalent about it being there.

Between the residents intimidating pedestrians and the surrounding surface lot breaking up the street scene, it's really not good for the area. I'm not usually against economic diversity in an area, but this is such a large number of basically destitute men in one place.

I would think that if the Y sold it outright, it could fetch a nice dollar amount. If the surrounding parking lot were also redeveloped, that stretch of Chicago would help pull Michigan Avenue west, which would be good for the area. With money from the sale, the Y could build or renovate a better facility somewhere in a part of town that was still close to an "L" line and services, while not being in an expensive part of town. It seems like the only thing unique about that area for the residents is that it's an easy place for them to get to prime panhandling spots from.

How much more good could the Y do if it freed up cash from it's high-value real estate there?

I'll admit I've been particularly against that Y ever since I was almost killed outside of it by a resident who'd thrown a glass bottle out a high window that disintegrated next to me, showering my leg with what was basically glass dust - a few inches closer and I'd have been seriously injured, maybe killed.

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by brian_b

Anyone know what's going on with 333 N Wacker? Right now there is a big "V" on the top of the building. I suppose a few more letters are to follow?

OK, now it's gone. Strange. Must have been a movie prop or something?

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by emathias

It doesn't actually look much of anything like the former building. The only reason it may is that they didn't touch the pumps or a canopy over the pumps.

...

I'll admit I've been particularly against that Y ever since I was almost killed outside of it by a resident who'd thrown a glass bottle out a high window that disintegrated next to me

I was just referring to the general site plan of the Citgo-cum-BP.

Did you ever report the glass incident back then? Maybe a complaint like that now to the alderman or somebody now could be a straw that breaks the plan's back. Perhaps it's not problematic in a way like the Pacific Garden Mission was, but it's probably not the best place for it anymore (btw does Moody have any plans to expand ever?) and surely the Y could serve a bigger population if it sold that property and built something in a different location.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by denizen467

Did you ever report the glass incident back then?
...

I was new to the city back then and didn't really know what to do other than yell at someone in the lobby.

The only other place I've seen glass bottles thrown out windows was Moscow in 1990. And Chicago should not aspire to be Moscow from 1990.

[spyguy]

Well, the first phase of that Weed Street redevelopment project isn't as exciting as some would hope. Basically just a strip center south of the Firestone building with Chipotle and Anthropologie and surface parking along Fremont.


And I don't think that new PetSmart/Buybuybaby building on Kingsbury and Eastman has two stories or a parking garage like Crain's mentioned. Just your typical suburban big-box junk with a slightly more modern facade and surface parking on the NW corner.

[VivaLFuego]

What a piece of crap.

[the urban politician]

Nothing short of criminal.

I really despise how Chicago sits and lets this happen, especially near mass transit. With this and the Thorek Hospital demolition, Chicago took another step towards becoming Cleveland and Detroit this week.

Chicago: Why are all our retail spaces vacant?

Answer: Because you keep allowing new strip centers with their own parking!

Chicago: Duh.... me no understand

Answer: All of the old retail spaces with no surface parking continue to be at a disadvantage except for in the densest areas, all the while retailers continue to gravitate towards the new strip malls everybody keeps building.

Chicago: Duh....me no understand. Me approve another strip mall. Duh.... What's wrong with strip malls?

Answer: Nobody wants to live in a city full of them. Chicago's whole charm and attraction is its urban, built environment that could only have been built prior to WWII. You are slowly tearing that apart

Chicago: Duh....me no understand. Lets build some cool bike lanes!

[ardecila]

I thought the last iteration of the zoning code put a stop to this cancer... right?

[the urban politician]

^ I yearn for the day, 100 years in the future, when the parking lots of all these strip malls be converted into public squares. Perhaps the ONLY good I could ever see from this rampant strip mall development is that it creates the outlines for future open space in a time, down the road, when perhaps the city may be far more congested and space be far more premium than it is right now.

But that's all speculation. I still loathe strip malls and the city should outright ban them in places like Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, etc...

[Busy Bee]

The average strip mall commercial building is built so poorly in 100 years they'll probably be reduced to dust. That is actually the one silver lining to cheap retail buildings, they are so low grade they are really intended to have a lifespan in the 20-30 year range. So depending on land values and so on, we may only have to live with this turd for another few decades... yessssssss!

[bnk]

Originally Posted by Hayward

I think it goes without saying that hospitals make lousy neighbors. In every city, EVERY CITY I have ever lived in I've witnessed some spectacular buildings fall victim to not a hospital building but hospital parking. It's the reasons why hospitals are best in a fringe area that has easy access to freeways and major roads. (like Rush for example)

Chicago, Grand Rapids feels your pain. They lost these to hospital surfacing parking very recently
http://blog.mlive.com/knapescorner/2...th_saving.html

Notice the person quoted "Yes, I guess those buildings are out of place." Yes, out of place after the neighborhood was destroyed around it...... Heck can you even call it a place?

Hum

I understand your loss but if you look and most large metro areas in this recession Hospitals are as a group one source of mega million and as a group billion dollar builders for their own reasons for expansion and new development.


Chicagoland alone has several billions of dollars of expansion and or re developoment of several large hospitals in the area. [ Northwesten was the latest, in the past few years Billions were spent between several large and medium programs. ]

I am sure the rest of the US is not alone when it comes to this expansion of major hospitals and their mergers.

At least somethings very major and important are being built in these bad times... [ trust me hosptials spare no expence when it comes to building and expanding right now even if it hurts and takes a few structures down in the process...

[lawfin]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Well, the first phase of that Weed Street redevelopment project isn't as exciting as some would hope. Basically just a strip center south of the Firestone building with Chipotle and Anthropologie and surface parking along Fremont.


And I don't think that new PetSmart/Buybuybaby building on Kingsbury and Eastman has two stories or a parking garage like Crain's mentioned. Just your typical suburban big-box junk with a slightly more modern facade and surface parking on the NW corner.

that entire north & clybourn corridor which could have been a true secondary major dense commercial area is lost.....probably forever at least for generations....it is maddening and disheartening to consider what could and should have been.

Really would it have that difficult to allow something even as low rise as b-3 style buildings coming in at 4-5 stories and limited parking this just further strangles the city.

I am seriously thinking of leaving Chicago for LA; at least in LA they build dense midrise..

[Rizzo]

How on earth would something like this ever get approved

[Chicagoguy]

Originally Posted by Hayward

How on earth would something like this ever get approved

Because we have some horrible Alderman in place in these districts that shouldn't be there. I was really hoping that Mayor Emanuel would be against all of this shit...and be persistent to STOP it!

[the urban politician]

I guess with North/Clybourn we have to take the same attitude that Cubs fans have taken for generations:

Maybe next year!

(ie, maybe "somewhere down the road" the strip malls will be redeveloped once land values increase).

Everybody talks about how great it is that Chicago is so affordable, but if you ask me I actually wish the city would become less affordable so that land wouldn't be wasted in such a manner in such prime areas like this one. I mean, you can still buy 2 flats for under $100,000 right now on the north side of Chicago, and not necessarily in total ghetto slums.

Seriously, where has all the value gone?

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

I mean, you can still buy 2 flats for under $100,000 right now on the north side of Chicago, and not necessarily in total ghetto slums.

Where exactly on the North Side? Redfin gives me one, just one, available multi family property for under 100K East of the North Branch... with only four available if you expand the boundaries to everything East of the Kennedy

Hell, there are ZERO multi families for under 100K East of Western Ave from 1800 South to the North edge of the city.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by untitledreality

Where exactly on the North Side? Redfin gives me one, just one, available multi family property for under 100K East of the North Branch... with only four available if you expand the boundaries to everything East of the Kennedy

Hell, there are ZERO multi families for under 100K East of Western Ave from 1800 South to the North edge of the city.

^ I think you answered your own question.

Also, nowhere did I say "east of Western". Not everything west of Western is all that bad, btw. A lot of ok neighborhoods--not Lincoln Park or anything, but also not as bad as Austin or Englewood.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Also, nowhere did I say "east of Western". Not everything west of Western is all that bad, btw.

I was just using the Western numbers to further expand the search area South. Given you claimed North Side, I feel the search area of anything East of the Kennedy (providing only 4 properties) was more than adequate to question your statement (which made it seem as if there was a great plethora of cheap properties on the North Side)

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Is this where the Firestone is/was? What was supposed to go up?

Originally Posted by lawfin

that entire north & clybourn corridor which could have been a true secondary major dense commercial area is lost.....probably forever at least for generations....it is maddening and disheartening to consider what could and should have been.

Really would it have that difficult to allow something even as low rise as b-3 style buildings coming in at 4-5 stories and limited parking this just further strangles the city.

I am seriously thinking of leaving Chicago for LA; at least in LA they build dense midrise..

Why should this neighborhood have been a "true secondary major dense commercial area"? For as long as I can remember the place has catered solely to the automobile. The stores themselves—Express, Banana Republic, The Container Store, Best Buy, Whole Foods, Crate & Barrel, Borders—are the same kind of generic retail you can find in any gussied-up suburban strip mall or "lifestyle center." And from what I can tell, they're the only reason for all the (good and bad) traffic this place gets.

I recall that a few people on here had maintained an irrational optimism about North/Clybourn, even when plans were announced a year or two ago to demolish an old, handsome three- or four-story brick building still left standing amidst the shlock, and in spite of the pretty but—if we're going to be idealistic—woefully inefficient development of Apple's little block. The reality is that it's going to take more than a laissez-faire approach for this place to become the kind of truly urban neighborhood we all want it to be. Barring some huge shift in public pressure or planning policy, it's gonna stay like this.